The answer to all of Arturas Karnisovas’ on-going issues was just under 1,000 miles away on Thursday night.
While the Bulls’ executive vice president of basketball operations was watching the Miami Heat send his underwhelming roster to a third consecutive loss, down in Dallas the entire Association was being served notice that the future is now.
Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg put up 49 points to go along with 10 rebounds, but was still on the losing end to an up-and-coming Charlotte squad that got 34 points from rookie Kon Knueppel.
Two franchises currently behind the Bulls in the standings, but both with such a better future than what Karnisovas is looking at. A reminder of the blueprint that needs to be followed by the executive, but one he refuses to journey down.
It doesn’t matter to Karnisovas that Detroit is the most recent successful team to follow the tanking model, now sitting with the best record in the Eastern Conference. San Antonio, Minnesota the year they landed Anthony Edwards, what Philadelphia did last season and walked away with rookie VJ Edgecombe, it goes on and on.
The easiest way to land a potential superstar with the way the league is structured now is through the draft, and the best way to give yourself favorable lottery odds is by pulling back in the standings. It’s not rocket science.
When the draft class is loaded and an executive lacks a superstar, take a knee. The 2025 class was loaded and Karnisovas instead was hellbent on running this roster into a wall of “competitive integrity.” The Bulls finished 15-5 in the last 20 games, only to be promptly laughed out of the gym by Miami in the play-in game.
No problem. After all, there was still a draft pick awaiting. Well, it was unless you draft an admitted project that needed a redshirt year to add strength and learn the speed of the game. That’s what Noa Essengue was at No. 12, and then having season-ending shoulder surgery after appearing in only two games hasn’t helped.
But there’s a reprieve in all of this for Karnisovas.
The 2026 class has three “dudes” at the top in AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, and Darryn Peterson, and then at least four players after that who can be an instant impact. Caleb Wilson, Kingston Wilson, Mikel Brown Jr. and Nate Ament would each add some excitement to Karnisovas’ stale project.
Consider it a complementary piece to his current plan.
While the executive has been active in trying to move players before the Feb. 5 trade deadline, there is a real scenario in which a dance partner doesn’t present itself. That means Karnisovas can strut into the offseason as one of only 10 or so teams not handcuffed by aprons or cap issues, and use the restricted free agent route to try and add talent.
Bids can be made on the likes of Tari Eason, Bennedict Mathurin, Jalen Duren or a Walker Kessler. Does it feel like Karnisovas dumpster diving? Maybe. But better to be a raccoon than a skunk yet again.
A scenario in which Wilson is drafted, Kessler is added after season-ending shoulder surgery, and Karnisovas still has his two pillars he’s building around in Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis? It’s at least something with momentum.
And maybe, just maybe, if the lottery gods smile upon Karnisovas and the Bulls they land one of those top three draft picks. Kessler in the middle for rim protection, Boozer at the four, and Buzelis at the three, where he should be playing on a nightly basis.
Dreaming? Maybe, but better than what has been the reality of Bulls basketball the last four years – an unimaginative nightmare.